Feb. 25, 2011
Box Score
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - After suffering two straight one-point losses to ranked opponents, the UNLV men's tennis team turned the tables during a windy Friday at the Fertitta Tennis Complex and upset No. 31 Fresno State 4-3 to earn their highest-ranked win in six years.
The Rebels improved to 9-5 while the Bulldogs fell to 4-5. Fresno State was the highest-ranked team to fall to UNLV since No. 10 Oklahoma State in 2005.
The hosts set the tone early by sweeping three doubles matches for a 1-0 lead. Mehdi Bouras and Bernard Schoeman quickly dispatched the nation's 29th-ranked duo - Rikus de Villiers and Remi Boutillier - at the top spot by the score of 8-3. Tamas Batyi and Kasper Konyves then clinched the point with an 8-3 victory over Francis Alcantara and Jean-Charles Diame at No. 2. The final match went to a tie-breaker and Rene Ruegamer and Alex Bull prevailed over Nick Papac and Siddharth Alapati 7-6 (7-4).
Fresno State rebounded in singles play, winning two quick straight-setters to go ahead 2-1. Bouras, however, refused to have his five-match winning streak snapped despite getting shut out in the first set. The Paris product, ranked 76th, coolly won the next two sets over No. 83 de Villiers to post a 0-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory to tie it.
It was the bottom of the lineup that pulled it out for the Rebels as sophomore Charlie Alvarado got the biggest win of his career, 2-6, 7-5, 6-0 over David Ayoun on court six. Also winning a three-setter was Bull at the fifth position as the freshman clinched the team win with a 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 triumph over Alapati.
"Tough conditions out here today but we stayed positive and I could not be prouder of the guys." said UNLV head coach Owen Hambrook. "They fought like crazy and kept believing. We have lost a number of close ones already this season. But they bought in the idea that good things will happen if they kept working hard and they sure did today."
UNLV returns to action Sunday when it hosts No. 58 Arkansas beginning with doubles play at 10 a.m. Admission is free of charge. The Rebels will try to make it a clean sweep against the Razorbacks after they won in Fayetteville, 5-2, on Jan. 28.
Men's Tennis Match ResultsUNLV 4, #31 Fresno State 3Feb. 25, 2011 at Las Vegas(Fertitta Tennis Complex)
Singles competition1. #76 Mehdi Bouras (UNLV) def. #83 Rikus de Villiers (FS) 0-6, 6-2, 6-32. #89 Remi Boutillier (FS) def. Tamas Batyi (UNLV) 6-3, 6-33. Jean-Charles Diame (FS) def. Rene Ruegamer (UNLV) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (10-8)4. Francis Alcantara (FS) def. Bernard Schoeman (UNLV) 6-0, 6-45. Alex Bull (UNLV) def. Siddharth Alapati (FS) 6-2, 3-6, 7-56. Charlie Alvarado (UNLV) def. David Ayoun (FS) 2-6, 7-5, 6-0Order of Finish: 4,2,1,6,5,3
Doubles competition 1. Mehdi Bouras/Bernard Schoeman (UNLV) def. #29 Rikus de Villiers/Remi Boutillier (FS) 8-32. Tamas Batyi/Kasper Konyves (UNLV) def. Francis Alcantara/Jean-Charles Diame (FS) 8-33. Rene Ruegamer/Alex Bull (UNLV) def. Nick Papac/Siddharth Alapati (FS) 7-6 (7-4)Order of Finish: 1,2,3
